CELTICS REPORT CARD: Final marks are in, and 2006-07 left little to be happy about on the parquet

Monday

Apr 23, 2007 at 12:26 AM

For many reasons, the Boston Celtics can't forget the 2006-07 season fast enough.

TIM WEISBERG

For many reasons, the Boston Celtics can't forget the 2006-07 season fast enough.

Just days before the season began, they lost team patriarch Arnold "Red" Auerbach, the guiding hand of over 50 years of success and 16 world championships.

Later in the year, they lost former player Dennis Johnson, one of the few links to the Celtics' most recent halcyon days still with ties to the organization.

And between them, they endured a franchise-record losing streak, the first extended absence of their captain's career, devastating injuries to other key players and, through it all, a "lovable loser" popularity from a fan base that knew brighter days were just ahead.

Our glass-half-full mid-season progress report drew criticism from many readers, but as we said then, it was merely a reflection on the progress of the players compared with expectations at the beginning of the season, not a final grade. Now, with a 24-58 finish and only a potential top-two draft pick to show for it, it's time to take that long, hard look into the rearview mirror:

Wyc Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca, et al.: B

The Celtics, despite losing, were a pretty hot ticket, as they averaged over 16,000 fans per game (the Garden seats just under 19,000 for basketball). The introduction of the dance team wasn't met with the expected scorn, and they helped make the team much more visible in the market with their new Entercom broadcasting deal.

The low-profile move of promoting Rich Gotham to team president will pay huge dividends in the future, as the former COO is responsible for many of the Celtics' latest business innovations and is one of the key figures in the city's attempt to snag an upcoming All-Star Weekend.

Ownership continues to back Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers, but at least for now that can't be held against them.

Danny Ainge: C-

If Ainge's goal was to secure either the first or second pick in the draft, he deserves an A. But his mandate was to show significant improvement over the past few seasons in order to continue touting "the plan." The injuries were not his fault, but not acquiring veteran help when Paul Pierce went down, paying Theo Ratliff $11.66 million to play in two games and bringing in Sebastian Telfair were.

Still, Ainge has one thing working in his favor going forward — the Celtics' upcoming pick. If the ping-pong balls land correctly come May 22, Danny's job will get a heck of a lot easier.

Doc Rivers: C+

It's no secret that the media loves Doc Rivers as a person. He's genial, honest and, quite frankly, a quote machine. But in terms of job assessment, he hasn't gotten it done. No coach should ever lose 18 games in a row, period. Questionable rotations, lack of defined roles and a penchant for yelling at his players from the sidelines are the common citations from Doc detractors.

However, the fact that this team continued to play hard every night despite their misfortune, and that no player said a single incendiary word about Rivers, is part of the reason why the Celtics will give him at least a one-year extension on his contract. Doc worked hard to get the C's where they are, and he deserves to be at the helm next season. But beyond that? Let's see what he can do when there are no excuses left.

Tony Allen: B+. He deserves better for the way he was playing earlier in the season, even before the season-ending ACL tear that came on a meaningless post-whistle dunk. If Allen can come back completely healthy and retain the explosiveness to the basket that he had before the injury, he could be a key ingredient to a more successful team.

Ryan Gomes: B-. Gomes transitioned well back to the three, after playing as an undersized power forward his rookie year. He also improved on his range, making him another potential weapon in the Celtics' offense. He already plays with the poise of a veteran.

Gerald Green: C-. One of the league's most talented young dunkers, one of the Celtics' worst defenders. That's the dichotomy that exists in Green. Better consistency in his scoring would likely help overlook his shortcomings on the other end.

Al Jefferson: A. What more can be said about Big Al? This is what Celtics fans were hoping he'd turn out to be. And next year, with Pierce healthy and the potential of playing on the floor with either Oden or Kevin Durant, he won't get mobbed like he did this season. As good as he was, he'll still get even better.

Michael Olowokandi: D. The redemption story we all heard at the beginning of the season had the expected ending, as it's hard to imagine Kandi Man getting an opportunity next season, either here or elsewhere.

Kendrick Perkins: B-. He can be a monster if healthy, but between his shoulder troubles and plantar fasciitis in his left foot, he was forced to play through a great deal of pain. Toward the end of the season, we saw the real Perk, with a few double-double games down the stretch. He'll make a fine backup if Greg Oden is Boston-bound.

Paul Pierce: A-. The missed time proved just how significant Pierce is to this team. And even though he came back a little out of shape, he still played with his typical ferocity, even though the ship was sinking. The on-court chemistry he's developing with Jefferson is the biggest positive to come out of this season.

Kevinn Pinkney: INC. At least for a few weeks, he could click on his own name on the "Players" page at NBA.com. Style points for the extra "n."

Leon Powe: C+. While not putting up as solid a rookie campaign as Ryan Gomes did the year before, Powe showed that Ainge has a knack for finding late second-round keepers. He's the type of role player a good team needs.

Theo Ratliff: F. Nobody expected Ratliff to be healthy all season — he's only played 60 or more games four times in the past decade, and not in the last three years. But a better veteran presence is what the Celtics wanted, and perhaps a little more than two games on the court.

Allan Ray: C-. An undrafted free agent, the Celtics took a chance on him and got some decent three-point shooting in the waning days of the season. He has some potential, but is it enough to warrant a spot on this team next season? The Celtics have until June 30 to make that decision.

Rajon Rondo: C. A lot has been made about Rondo's lack of an NBA-caliber shot, but he's got plenty of time to work on that. His natural court vision and decision-making put him miles above any of the Celtics' other point guards.

Brian Scalabrine: C-. Scalabrine will always have the unfortunate position (depending on how you look at it) of trying to live up to his contract. But you wouldn't want to imagine a young Celtics team without his locker room presence.

Wally Szczerbiak: D. He was supposed to bring veteran scoring help, another option that would pull defenses away from Pierce. Instead, he's brought shaky knees and brittle ankles. As the other Celtics have developed around him, he's a Sixth Man of the Year candidate if healthy next season, or a $12 million albatross if he isn't.

Sebastian Telfair: D-. After entering a situation he felt was custom-made for his talents (a young, fast, athletic team with little to lose), Telfair dropped the ball when running the show and instead looked for his own suspect shot. The latest gun charge means he's likely gone from Boston.

Delonte West: C. West got a chance to play more of his natural two-guard once Rondo took over at the point, but once again, he couldn't stay on the court due to injuries.

Tim Weisberg covers the Boston Celtics for The Standard-Times. Contact him at timweisberg@hotmail.com

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